Berlin

It's easy to find a quick lunch or snack throughout the city. Two of the local favorites are currywurst, a wurst sandwich with curry sauce either served on a bread roll or diced and set in a paper dish, and doner kebab, sliced meat brought to Berlin by the huge Turkish immigrant population. Such outlets can be found all over the city, and the most convenient pauses in a frenetic day would be at Potsdamer Platz, Alexanderplatz and the Hauptbahnhof. Berlin also has plenty of higher-end restaurants where you can enjoy a leisurely dinner of German or international cuisine.

For fine dining in an elegant setting, head to FACIL, located on the fifth floor of the Mandala Hotel. The menu offers inventive French dishes that change with the seasons; in the summer, the glass roof is opened for views of the sky and stars. If your budget isn't up to a 200-euro dinner, try the more affordable lunch menu instead. FACIL is closed on weekends.

The stone arches under the Hackescher Markt S-Bahn house several restaurants, all with outdoor cafes open in good weather. Order the Wiener schnitzel at Barist -- the breaded meat will cover the entire plate. Sour Brandenburg pork with escalloped potatoes and red cabbage is another favorite.

The Nikolai Quarter facing the River Spree and southeast of Unter den Linden is a restored section of old Berlin with many restaurants, some with outdoor dining. Reinhard's is a classic German-style restaurant with dark paneling and mirrors, and very good German food. Venison medallions are wrapped in bacon and the three-part plate -- pork, steak and turkey -- comes with a different sauce for each.